Who Cares About The Crew?
by Techno Mouse
Summary: When a young woman's dreams come true, how quickly will they turn to nightmares? The story of a lighting technician who catches the eye of a particularly volatile wrestler. Stars of TNA, specifically Christian Cage.
1. The Beginning Of The End

**Hey, people. Ok, It's Like This (hah), I'm so uncertain about this story. I don't know if anyone will read this, or if it's only interesting to me. I'm putting it up, and seeing what people think. So I'm gonna put up...well I guess as much of the story as I've written so far, which would be about three chapters, and you gotta review and tell me if you think I should continue. Ok, here I go, baring my soul. **

* * *

Ella had her moments of spontaneity. Nothing terribly major, though, and that's what surprised her now. Barely a year out of university, she had decided on America. Her work permit came the day before her plane was scheduled, and she packed that evening. She hugged her parents goodbye, and in a matter of hours, was sitting, stunned and bewildered, in a small Florida motel.

Though never really an outgoing young woman, Ella gathered what courage and resolve she had, and threw herself into the industry.

Which industry? Ah. Well.

Ella was a rock 'n' roller. She loved the bright lights and flashing colours, loved the sweat and the pain and the terror. But Ella was never meant to be a rock star. Because, of course, she loved the bright lights.

She studied her Advanced Diploma of Lighting Production at the only university in Australia that would give it to her, across the country, in Perth. Far from home, she worked so hard, living and breathing and sleeping theatre. She got to know every lighting console they owned. She got hooked to that two and a half hours of button-pushing adrenaline. Unfortunately, Australia is no place for a young up-and-coming board operator.

So here she was.

She went for every job she could find, sometimes working every night of the week for weeks at a time, working her way up as a crew member, then getting known for her board op skills. She worked for a full year, renting a small apartment with her wages.

Then one night, she got the call that made at least half of her life-long dreams come true. And the conversation only took about two minutes.

The head electrician from TNA Wrestling had been talking to Mark Wayberg, a previous employer that she'd had the pleasure of working with on a few occasions. He was looking for- and this was the part she couldn't quite believe- a board programmer and operator.

'We use a Vista,' he said, and she almost whooped with delight. Her favourite lighting console, her favourite TV show, she wasn't too sure how much better it could get.

'And you'll be getting about 250 a night.'

She was deadly silent for a while. She tried to say something, but found that excitement had jammed up her throat. She cleared her throat and tried again.

'Ok. Sounds good. When do you need me to start?' Her voice sounded a little high pitched to her, she hoped he hadn't noticed.

'Well, you're still working on a play at the moment, is that right?'

_Stuff the play_, she wanted to scream, _I'll come right away!!_ What she actually said was, 'Yes, that's right. But it finishes this Wednesday.'

'That works out perfectly, actually. Come in on Friday, we'll sort some stuff out, introduce you, and start working on that weeks Impact. Then you'll get a run at our weekly show before you do the Pay-Per-View event for next weekend.

She almost started weeping with joy. With some difficulty she managed to regain composure, accepting the offer with civility.

'See you Friday.'

Walking into the Impact Zone at Universal Studios was like walking straight into a TV. For quite a while it felt as though she had walked into something. She was so star struck that she let Tony Stuart, the head electrician who had hired her, talk for a good ten minutes before she realised what he was saying.

'...won't introduce you until everyone gets in. I guess I don't have to tell you that we have a bit of a problem starting early mornings. But I'll show you round the rest of the venue, and then you can have a look at the desk, and our presets. Obviously they get changed most weeks, so you'll have a meeting with our lighting designer, Pierce, who'll talk you through his notes for the next Impact, as well as next weekend's show. Sound ok?'

She blinked, trying to remember how to talk. 'Uh...yeah! Sounds awesome.' Tony winced at her choice of words.

'Yeah, well, This Is Awesome, of course.'

'Oops,' she said. 'Sorry. I guess it only takes a couple hundred runs of this show to get sick of that, huh?'

'Something like that.' He gave her a wide, genuine smile, dropping briefly out of his "tour guide" persona.

He was a pretty good looking guy, a bit too old for her, but he had a friendly, almost fatherly look about him. He had short, blondish hair, and the muscle tone of a man accustomed to working hard at his job. He wore a long-sleeved shirt with the arms pushed halfway up, and she could see the end of an old looking scar running down his forearm.

'Well, I suppose it comes with the job, eh? Come on, we'll continue our tour.' He turned away from her, gesturing for her to follow. 'So, obviously, this is the main arena space. Known affectionately as the Zone, we brook no "in the zone" jokes here, young lady.' His eyebrows lifted. 'Are we clear?'

'I make no promises,' she retorted. He laughed suddenly, startling two men walking past with a table.

'Ah, well, unfortunately nobody else really sticks to that rule, either. Aah, dear...well I'll take you up to your bio box a little later, for now we'll have a look backstage.' To her surprise, they actually walked out of one of the ramp entrances. It was bizarre, going where the cameras never followed. Once they were through the tunnel, however, the only thing to see was a rather monotonous concrete hallway, walls supported by bare steel truss, road cases pushed against the walls.

'Huh.'

Tony looked back at Ella.

'Yeah, kinda takes everyone like that.' They turned right, and walked some way down the corridor, to where the hallway opened to reveal a long string of doors in the concrete. Tony explained that they were the talent's dressing rooms. They walked past them all, Ella taking in each name on the door with a sense of elation. Tony turned down another corridor, then opened a door, motioning her through. It was a semi open room, tables and chairs scattered in lines.

'This is catering. Of course the talent never eat before or after they go on; says it makes them queasy. But feel free! We spend most of our time down here during shows.' Ella nodded, wondering how long she would spend in this room in the future. It felt very surreal.

Leaving the way they came, they climbed some stairs that actually led to surface level, where a brightly lit corridor, with windows that looked out onto grassed areas between buildings, led them to a pair of doors.

Just before they reached them, Tony stopped short, and Ella followed suit. He looked suddenly uncomfortable.

'Um...so you told me that you had previously watched TNA wrestling.'

'Yes, that's right. It's about the only sport I do watch.'

He rubbed the back of his head, looking like he was struggling for words.

'So...I mean, I guess then that you...realise what goes into the...preparation and uh...training, for the matches?'

Comprehension suddenly dawned for Ella.

'Oh! You mean the scripting? And the choreography?'

Relief shone through Tony's perturbed expression.

'Yes! Yeah, sorry to seem so strange, it's just that I'd hate to disillusion you so abruptly.'

'No worries there. I am long since disillusioned. Thanks for thinking of it, though.'

'My pleasure. So then, here I am proud to show you...' he paused for effect. '...our training facilities.' He opened the door just wide enough to admit them both, slipping through silently, closing the door behind him.

Ella's insides suffered a quick jolt, as though someone had sunk their fist into _her_ belly, instead of the man in the ring in front of her.

The man, she noted, was Jay Lethal.

The man doing the punching, she also noted, was Sonjay Dutt.

'Huh.'

'Yeah, kinda takes everyone like that, too.'

The room was long and well lit, floor length mirrors set at regular intervals, placed to reflect the occupants of the three full-sized hexagonal rings that stretched the length of the room. The ring closest to them featured a rather slowed-down fight of Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal, while a buff looking man in a tracksuit walked around them, calling instructions.

'Ok, so trading blows, trading blows, now Jay, go for the Lethal Combination, that's right, and, oh! That's good, Sonjay, try twisting a little further out, so Jay spins as well. Perfect!'

Ella's unbelieving eyes wandered to the next ring, where a large man with long curly hair tied back in a ponytail was rehearsing a scene in which he apparently arrives just in time to save Eric Young from Team 3D. It took her a few seconds, but she realised that the man was actually an unmasked Abyss.

'This...is...'

Tony coughed loudly.

'...really cool.'

'You're learning.'

Next to each ring, a handful of other wrestlers were practicing moves on thickly padded floor, in front of the mirrors. She watched as Matt Morgan put Booker T straight to the ground with what looked like a rather gently done "Hellevator". As Matt Morgan jumped back up and stretched a hand down to Booker, she became aware that Tony was talking to her again.

'I mean, really they're all great guys. You get to know them, well you have to, we spend so much time here. And most of them don't mind when we hang around to watch; after all, it's their job.'

Her eyes followed Taylor Wilde as she ran a couple of steps and spear tackled one of the Beautiful People.

'Awes...great.'

Tony chuckled again.

'Well, we better move on. I anticipate that some of the crew might have showed up by now. If I'm not around, they tend to sneak off again.' He walked to the door, and Ella started to follow.

Before she did, her gaze swept over the furthest ring from the door, where it looked like a six-man tag-team match was being rehearsed. As she did, her eyes met with those of a wrestler who was leaning on the steel ropes. He had his hand out, and looked like he was in mid-tag, but was looking straight at her. Recognising the reddish-blond hair and lean frame, she dropped the gaze, quickly following Tony. Even across the room, she had sensed the massive stage presence of Christian Cage. She had to admit to herself, meeting the gaze of one of the wrestlers that had long been a symbol of absolute power was a little intimidating.

They walked back the way they came, and Tony continued to explain the structure of the production schedule for both weekly shows and main events. She nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her, then started to make small noises of assent. As they walked past the dressing rooms again, however, she caught sight of Christian Cage's name on a door, and she thought again of their 'encounter'. The thought of the eye contact made her blush a little, but thankfully Tony wasn't looking at her.

It gave her a little shock, however, when the next door they walked past opened, and she almost collided with the man who suddenly appeared from it.

'Sti...I mean, hi!' she squeaked out.

'Oh, Hi Steve, how's it going? This is Ella Flynn, our new lighting op.'

'Oh, great! I'm Steve Borden,' he said, shaking her hand. 'But...I guess you already knew that,' he finished, taking in her wide eyes and sudden silence.

'Kinda,' she squeaked again. He laughed then, and she smiled sheepishly in return.

'Well, welcome to TNA. You should know, I have something of a history with the lighting crew. For some reason, they take my entrance as an opportunity to stop using all the lights!' She laughed, more at his easy-going attempt to relax her, than anything.

'So, Steve, you here for training?'

'No, actually, I just left this week's schedule in my dressing room yesterday. I figured that I probably needed to know when I have to be here, huh. Anyway, I'm off now. See you soon, Tony. Miss Flynn, I hope you have a good time settling in!' With that, the icon Sting walked back in the direction they'd come, swinging his car keys round one hand.

'See?' said Tony. 'Great guys.'


	2. Son Et Lumiere

Checking her watch, Ella found that it was ten o'clock by the time they walked back into the main arena

Checking her watch, Ella found that it was ten o'clock by the time they walked back into the main arena. Tony looked around the room, apparently searching for his crew. Ella watched a tall guy with curly hair walk in front of them. With his height and beefy frame, she figured he must be a wrestler. But strangely enough, she didn't recognise him from the TNA stable. Tony spotted him too, and it wasn't until he called him over that Ella realised he must be one of the crew.

'Lloyd! Hey, Lloyd! This way.' The big man turned at his name, and trotted over to them, looking slightly sheepish.

'Hiya, Tony. Listen, I'm real sorry bout being so late. I left on time, but I had to pick up Buster this morning, and you know how he is.' Lloyd was soft-spoken for a man his size, and had, from what little Ella could tell, something of a southern accent.

'Yeah, I know, Lloyd. Why did you have to pick him up? What's wrong with his car?'

'He got a flat runnin' over some broken glass last night, and someone took a knife to his spare, apparently.'

'Yeah, I can believe that. Buster's always running his mouth off in some club or another. Where is he, anyway? I need to talk to you all.'

'Well when we couldn't find you here, he went to get a coffee. I imagine he's outside. D'ya want me to go find him?'

'No, it's all right, he'll come in soon. I'm trying to introduce Ella to the crew, but I can't seem to find most of you.'

Lloyd turned to Ella as if seeing her for the first time. He stepped towards her and stretched out a hand, which she took. His hand was huge and warm, and reminded her, strangely, of a teddy-bear. In fact, Lloyd in general reminded her of a really big teddy-bear.

'Well, you must be Ella Flynn! I'm Lloyd, Lloyd Brackman. H-have you already showed her round, Tony?'

'Yeah, I have, Lloyd. You took so long getting here I figured I had to.' Lloyd looked a little disappointed. Tony turned to Ella.

'Lloyd wanted to show you round. Truth be told, he'd probably do a better job than me. Lloyd knows this place real well. Tell you what, Lloyd, I haven't taken her upstairs yet. How about you show her around there after we get everyone here?' Lloyd smiled.

'I certainly will, Mr. S!'

Tony looked like he was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a call from behind Lloyd.

'Hey, Lloyd! Is he here yet? Or can I go get a...oh, hi, Tony.' As Lloyd turned towards the sound, a young man came into view, holding an empty coffee cup.

'Thanks for joining us, Buster.' There was a half-laughing expression on Tony's face.

'Hey,' said Buster, smiling, 'At least I'm not the last one here. Sammy isn't even here yet.'

'What are you talkin' 'bout, Buster? I been here long enough to see you ain't got nothing in your skull but air, boy!' The voice echoed from the roof, and they all swiveled their heads upwards, squinting past the works lights to see a figure in the rafters. Buster laughed.

'Who are you calling boy, Sammy? Why don't you come down here and we'll have a once-round in the ring?'

'Oh, I'll be there!' The figure pulled its head back from the guardrail and disappeared. Buster leaned towards Ella conspiratorially.

'I would bet five dollars any day that he arrived not two minutes ago and went straight up to the catwalk. He'll probably give some excuse about blown globes in the work lights. Like we don't hear that every morning.' Buster looked at her a moment longer, and his brow crinkled. 'Uh, but I don't believe we've been introduced?'

'All in good time, Buster, we're almost there.' Tony interrupted as a side door swung open, and a man in his twenties, with short, platinum blond hair walked over to them.

'Sorry I missed you, Tony, I was up changing a blown globe in the work lights.' Buster winked at Ella. Tony rolled his eyes. She smiled.

'Ok, now that we're all assembled, I'd like to introduce Ella Flynn, our new board operator. Ella, this is Buster Mack, Sammy Fraser,' she shook hands as they were announced. 'And you've just met Lloyd. They make up our crack shot crew. You need anything, they're your gophers.' She laughed.

'It's great to meet you all. Rest assured, when I need a coffee, you'll be the first people to know.'

'Oh! You're Australian!' said Lloyd, who then blushed. 'I only just realised I ent heard you spoke yet.' Buster laughed good-naturedly.

'You must excuse Lloyd, Ella. He's a bit of fiend when it comes to all things exotic.' He raised his eyebrow suggestively. Lloyd blushed harder.

'Shut up, Buster, I was just bein' friendly,' he mumbled.

Ella burst into laughter, and was swiftly joined by the rest of the crew, even Lloyd when his embarrassment had died down a little.

'Well, that's about all I had to say. Buster, Sammy, I've got some jobs for you, and Lloyd, why don't you take Ella upstairs now.'

-

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-

An hour later, Ella was sitting at the lighting board, coffee in hand, still talking to Lloyd. She'd told him about how she ended up in America, and in return he told her how he'd come to TNA.

It was really quite sad, considering the friendliness and good-nature of the big man. Lloyd had grown up in South Carolina. His mother had died when he was very young, and he and his two brothers had been raised by their father. They'd had some falling out that Lloyd didn't specify, so when he was sixteen, Lloyd began travelling with some friends as a wrestler. He enjoyed the sport, but really was only doing it to make a living. They made their way to Florida, hoping to get some connections with pro-wrestling companies. Lloyd had started working backstage, in maintenance and basically any job he could get his hands on. It was around this point that he discovered the world of lighting, and had applied to Tony as a crew member. He didn't know much about the industry, but he loved it, worked hard and Tony gave him a permanent job as one of the crew. He'd been working at TNA for two years. She could tell that he thought a lot of Tony.

'I came here to make a living and I found a life.' He smiled, a little sadly, she thought. Then he sat up straight, shaking his head a little, and a brighter smile replacing it.

'Everyone here is real nice, Ella. Most of the wrestlers think the world of the crew. They're wonderful people, and some of my best friends.'

Ella titled her head to the side, mulling over his comments.

'Most of the wrestlers? I guess some of them think a lot of themselves, huh?'

Lloyd paused, and frowned, his mood suddenly turning dark again.

'No, it ain't like that. It's just that…well, I know it's a violent career choice, but some…' he paused again, brow crinkled. 'Some just ain't all that nice.' The expression on Lloyd's face sent a shiver down Ella's spine.

'Like…who?'

His face brightened unexpectedly, and for the first time in their conversation, Ella got the distinct impression of insincerity.

'Now, I can't be giving you bias before you even met them! What must you think of me!' Ella continued to look at him, silent. The awkwardness did not have time to grow, however, as they were interrupted by Tony.

'Hey guys. If you're feeling comfortable here, Pierce has just arrived. I'll introduce you, and then you guys can get started!'

'That sounds great!' The anticipation of work got Ella excited again, and she forgot about Lloyd's strange comments.

Tony lead her back down to the main arena, and out to catering. A couple of coffee machines and packets of biscuits had been set out on the tables that had previously been empty. A man stood in front of one machine, holding a polystyrene cup, with his back to them. They walked over and Tony called out to him. He turned around to face them.

'Ella, this is Pierce Dale, our lighting designer, and Pierce, this is Ella Flynn, your new board op.' Pierce passed the cup to his other hand, stretching out his right hand to her.

'Nice to meet you.'

Pierce was a tall man, with broad, strong looking shoulders. He wore a black shirt, undone over a grey t-shirt, and baggy black cargo pants. A pair of large headphones was wrapped around his neck, the cord snaking under his shirt and ending in a bag that was slung diagonally across his shoulders. His hair was dark brown, in loose dreadlocks that stood out around his head. He had handsome features, and strikingly dark eyes.

For some reason, he was not what Ella had been expecting. She'd thought he would be older, for one, but Pierce looked no older than twenty-five. She found herself wondering why all the guys working here looked like they could probably be wrestlers.

Pierce turned back to Tony.

'Is everything ready for plotting?'

'Yep, no problems today.'

Pierce nodded. 'Great.' He refilled his cup with coffee and turned away from the table. 'Ella, do you need anything?' She shook her head mutely. 'Ok, then we should make a start.'

She let Pierce lead her back to the control booth.

-

-

-

Pierce was a highly skilled designer, she found, and for her part she thought she was doing a well enough job keeping up with him, offering suggestion when it was due. Once plotting was finished, she thought she saw a kind of grudging respect in his eyes.

Glancing down at the time on the console as she saved the changes, she discovered that it was five-thirty, and almost the end of the workday. Pierce, looking at his watch as well, packed his notepads into his bag and stood, quietly requesting that she tell Tony he was done for the day.

'See you later in the week, Ella. Good luck.' These were his only parting words as he backed out of the door.

She shook her head, a little bemused at the silently efficient man, whom she found strangely compelling even as she felt him to be a little distant. He was very handsome after all…

She dismissed this last thought. It was obviously just the sense of mystery that attracted her, a first impression that had left her disappointed often enough in the past.

She ran down to Tony, who informed her that everyone was about done for the day.

'Fancy a coffee? They do a pretty good instant blend out back.'

She smiled and accepted, feeling that a relaxing coffee with her new colleagues would be perfect for settling her into the crew.

Tony summoned the other three, and they made their way back to the cafeteria, claiming a table in the somewhat busier room. They talked easily as they drank. Ella found the rest of the crew very easy to get along with. They were great guys, and she found herself thinking that she could very well become great friends with all four of them.

They'd been sat not longer than twenty minutes when they were joined unexpectedly by, Ella was shocked to find, ODB, who sat next to Tony with an ease that suggested she was often in company with the crew.

'Hi boys, how are y'all?' They greeted her with friendly cries, leaning across the table to high-five her. She had a wide, easy smile, somewhat out of character with her brawly ring persona.

'Jessica, this is Ella Flynn, the newest crew member, Ella, this is Jessica Kresa.' Jessica leant across Tony to shake hands with Ella, looking genuinely pleased to meet her.

'Oh, great! I'm glad to see you got a girl onto your crew, you sexist bastards.' She leant closer to her. 'If any of these guys give you trouble, just give the word and I'll get 'em all.' Everyone round the table laughed at this, though Ella felt that she was sincere in the offer.

'Where are the rest of the girls, Jess?' Buster raised his coffee cup, lifting his eyebrows in question.

'Well, The Beautiful People went home straight after training, Roxie's still training, and Taylor had to go on a date!' She arched her eyebrows and smiled. Buster winced.

'Damn, you know, I thought we were getting along great…' Jessica laughed loudly.

'Buster is quite the heartbreaker round here,' she said. 'But Taylor is much too smart to fall for his charms.'

Looking at his wavy brown hair and handsome smile, Ella could well credit him to be a bit of a rogue.

They continued to chat until Tony glanced at his watch and announced that they were all released for the day. They made their way respectively to their cars, or in Ella's case, the bus stop. As they split, Tony yelled at their retreating backs,

'Don't forgot, two o'clock Monday, and the show starts at seven thirty!' They waved in acceptance.

* * *

**How's it going? Don't give up, don't despair: Christian comes into the next chapter a bit severely.**


	3. True Romance

Ella sat in darkness, watching the show through the glass, looking down on the wrestlers with awe

Ella sat in darkness, watching the show through the glass, looking down on the wrestlers with awe. They were about halfway through the show, and it had gone without a hitch. She was absolutely engrossed; she'd never actually been to a live wrestling show before. It was even more impressive than on TV, she thought.

The wrestlers for the next match came out, accompanied by the light show created by Ella. The booming voice of the announcer rang out around the stadium, and she mouthed along as he said,

'This match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, accompanied by Sharmell, Bookeeeer T!!'

She snorted, and put her headphones back on to hear for her next cue.

-

-

-

Ella sat, contented, at the end of the show, waiting for the last few people to file out of the venue. While she realised that being at the show every week might get old after a while, at this point, she couldn't imagine when that would be.

She came lightly down the stairs into the main arena, buoyant with happiness. As she came out of the stairwell, however, she found Tony and Pierce waiting for her, having obviously watching from the crowd.

'Oh, um, hi guys. How was it?'

Pierce nodded, gave a small smile, and turned his body slightly away from them. Tony smiled too, widely.

'Flawless.' He said, slapping her on the back. She grinned, knowing it to be true. 'Well all I have to say is that we meet here again at two tomorrow, then on Wednesday we're working on the pay-per-view show. I'll see you then.'

With that, they both left.

Ella walked backstage, humming quietly as she headed for the crew's staff room to collect her bag. She was looking downwards, still exalted by her success, when she turned a corner and walked into someone tall. The person didn't move at all, Ella simply rebounded off them.

'Oh! I'm so sorr...' The apology died on her lips as she looked up, and into the eyes of none other than Christian Cage. '…sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going…' And she started to hurry away, ducking around him.

'Wait!' His cry stopped her short. She turned and walked back the couple of steps. He was looking at her with the strangest expression. 'Uh…I don't believe we've met before. Are you part of the crew?'

She attempted a friendly smile, all the while completely star struck.

'Yes! Yes, I'm new, I mean, I'm the new board operator. For lighting.' She winced inwardly at her awkward explanation. He just smiled a little brighter, and stretched out his hand.

'I'm Jason. Jason Reso.'

'Ella Flynn.' They shook hands, and then it seemed to Ella that he held on to her hand just a second longer than necessary.

'Jason! Are you coming? We need to get our schedules off Jim.' He let go of her hand, a little guiltily, she thought, when he heard the call from the man striding down the corridor to them. It was Rhyno, she realised, wearing jeans and a tshirt, his hair tied back.

'I was just meeting the new crew member. Terry, this is Ella Flynn.'

He shook her hand as well, with a smile.

'Nice to meet you! Terry Gerin. I hate to be rude, but we really have to run, or else Jim will leave without telling us what we're doing for the rest of this week.'

'No no, that's fine, I was just heading out myself.'

They stepped past her, and she began to walk in the opposite direction. About halfway down the hall, she looked briefly over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed as she discovered Jason still looking after her, arms crossed, head tilted to one side. She quickly directed her eyes back in front of her, and continued walking.

Jason's eyes followed her down the hall. He knew she'd looked back, seen him watching her. He felt his blood rushing painfully fast. Something about the girl, her long dark hair, her deep blue eyes, the timid way she'd put her head down and tried to flee when she'd bumped him…

'Jason!!' Rhyno's voice echoed down the corridor. 'Come ON!'

-

-

-

The next night went just as smoothly as the first and was just as exciting, even though it was in all ways exactly the same show as the previous night. Ella felt at home already, sitting in the tiny dark room, pressing go and watching the lights flashing. Bliss, she thought.

She made her way to the locker room after the show, taking more care around corners tonight. She thought back on the previous night, and the strange encounter with Christian…Jason. The way he'd watched her leave…

She put it out of her mind. She'd met his type before. He'd show initial interest, and then pass over her for something newer and shinier.

Entering the locker room, she gathered her belongings and walked to the back door, heading to the bus stop. It was dark, but she followed a path of streetlights till she reached the bench. She sat, waiting, and a sudden prickly feeling swept over her. She looked around behind her, but saw nothing but darkness. It felt suddenly very eerie, and she shivered slightly.

She was snapped back to reality by the noise of the bus approaching the stop. She shook her head and laughed a little at herself. _Maybe it was Sting_, she thought mockingly, _hiding in the darkness behind her_. She exhaled through her teeth and got on the bus.

Odd, how she'd looked around like that. He was certain he hadn't made a noise with the door. He felt a little bad, he knew it was creepy and possibly a little illegal, but he'd somehow missed seeing her that night. He'd wanted to look at her again, a strange compulsion, so when he'd seen her slip out the door, he was unable to stop himself exiting after her.

...he felt odd. He knew it was her fault.

Damn her.

* * *

**Ok, so that's as far as I've got so far. What do you think? Is it worth continuing? Well, I mean, I'll probably still keep writing it, but should I be putting it up here? Does anyone give a hot damn?**

**Oh, also, I just want to say, while I do know stuff in the way of the lighting industry, I know jack shit about how the production of TNA works. I'm pretty much making it up. I think I'm just describing my dream job...but yes. If anyone could tell me how it actually is, that would be awesome.**

**Also, I'm operating in some crazy world where Christian Cage isn't happily married. Also I'm sure he's a great guy in real life. Sick fantasies, huh? What are you gonna do?**

**...review! Please!! For the love of god!!**


	4. How Soon Is Now?

**Alright! I got the next chapter up, next day, thought I think technically it's two days, cos it's after twelve now...ah, whatever. So my point is, I got reviewed!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay**

**So I write another chapter. Uh...I think I'm kind of holding this story to ransom, you know, you review and then you get another chapter? But you know, if enough people GAVE A DAMN, I probably wouldn't have to do that.**

**Ooh, bitter much? Ok, story now: check it out.**

* * *

Pierce was waiting, again, by the coffee machine when she showed up on Wednesday morning. He turned around as she entered, his calm brown eyes swinging in her direction, then back to the table. He picked up the two cups of coffee sitting on the table, and turned back to her.

'Hi. I made you a cup of coffee. Shall we have a moment before we have to get started?' She was a little puzzled. Pierce struck her as the kind of guy who liked to get things done quickly. It must have showed on her face, and as they sat down he said in an explanatory tone,

'Dark time doesn't start for another half hour, and Tony has a thing about making sure the crew aren't hanging around where they're not needed.'

She smiled. 'Tony's a great guy. Not many head elecs are that considerate towards their crew.'

'He sure is. He takes care of them.' Pierce sipped on his coffee. 'So what do you think of the job so far?'

'Friggin' awesome,' she said, raising her eyebrows. He laughed at this, and she realised it was the first time he had. It was surprising, but also rather pleasant.

Pierce looked down at his watch, and swore.

'Shit. I just remembered I have to talk to head of production before we start.' He looked up, and Ella got the impression that he was a little reluctant to leave. 'I'm real sorry. You just stay here and finish your coffee. I'll meet you in the bio box at ten, ok?' She found to her amusement that his distant manner dropped a little in his chagrin.

'Totally fine. Do what you gotta.'

He stood, collected his bag, and strode from the room. Ella checked her watch after he left. She still had twenty-five minutes to kill. Well, a couple of coffees should cover that, she thought.

She got comfortable, one elbow on the table supporting her head, as she looked at the opposite wall, zoning out. She'd not been like that for more than a few minutes before she became aware that someone else had come into the room. She looked up at the coffee machine and recognised Taylor Wilde pouring herself a cup. Seeing that Ella was the only person in the room, Taylor came across to her.

'Hi! Mind if I join you?' She had a wide, friendly smile, which Ella returned.

'No, of course not!'

'I'm Shantelle Malawski.' She said, dropping her bag next to the table.

'Ella Flynn.'

'Oh, hey, you must be the new lighting operator! Jessica was telling me she met you. How's it going so far?'

She found it very easy to talk to Shantelle. Ella had always liked her stage persona, but unlike ODB, Shantelle's personality was very close to Taylor's.

'You're from Australia, right?'

'Yeah, that's right.'

'I always thought about going to Australia…'

Ella nodded, swallowing a mouthful of coffee.

'Australians and Canadians should stick together.'

Shantelle laughed. 'I've always thought so.'

They talked for a little longer, before Ella caught sight of the clock on the wall.

'Oh, shit! I've got to go!' Taylor turned to look at the clock as well.

'Shit!! So do I!' They both got up in a hurry, grabbing bags and almost running out the door. Before they parted, Shantelle turned and said quickly,

'Ella, I'll see you again soon, ok? If not in the next few days, then definitely at the Bound For Glory after party, ok?' Then she ran around a corner and disappeared. Ella suddenly stopped, despite the fact that she was almost late.

'After party?' No one had mentioned that.

-

-

-

Ella, having managed to duck into the bio box mere seconds before Pierce entered, was now deep in the process of plotting for the pay-per-view show. He wasn't sitting in the bio box with her like he had on the first day. Today he was sitting out in the audience, communicating via the headphones that had been set up by the sound guys for the purpose. She took it to be a good sign that he didn't feel the need to be hovering over her shoulder.

'Ok, I need the blue crowd wash at…40. No, 35, great, and also the ramp wash, in the pale lavender, and program the movers on the side in an intensity chase…that's perfect. Ok, record that and then save.' He was silent as she fiddled around on the board, then a strange cracking noise came over the headphones. She looked up, startled, to see him tilting his head from side to side, cracking his neck.

'Alright, let's run it through from the start.'

She went back to the beginning, going through each step one after another. They were about halfway through when she remembered something she'd been meaning to ask.

'Oh, Pierce, someone said something about an after party. What do you know about that?' She saw his dark head in the seats swivel round to the bio box, then back to the stage.

'Oh, right. Well, crew and talent always have an after party when they do a pay-per-view. I think you're sort of expected to go, especially as you're new. Don't worry about it, you'll probably go with the rest of the crew. And there's no hazing or anything, by the way.'

Ella stopped for a moment and looked at Pierce. In the semi-darkness she could see a slight smile on his face.

_There's gonna be hazing_, she thought. _I just know it._

-

-

-

'Oh, hi guys, what's up?' It was the night of Bound For Glory, and having finished the show, Ella had just left out of the back door, when she was suddenly brought up short by the row of LX crew standing in front of her. Buster was the first to speak up.

'So…I guess you're on your way to the party, huh?'

Ella put her hands on her hips.

'Guys, I thought we talked about this.'

Ella had actually been out with the crew every night since they started plotting for Bound For Glory. It was like some strange ritual that meant each pay-per-view lost you about the same amount of money that you got paid for doing it. She was flat-out broke and in need of some sleep, so she'd told the guys that she didn't intend on going to the afters. They hadn't taken it very well. Apparently, they still hadn't given up.

'Now, El, we all like a joke, haha, but seriously, let's get going.'

She rolled her eyes.

'_Seriously_, I swear to you I don't even have money for booze.' At this, Tony lifted into few a six pack of beer, raising an eyebrow. She started to smile, but tried her hardest to hold it back.

'What if I don't drink beer?'

Buster lifted a full bottle of vodka.

'And what if I don't like vodka?'

Sammy swung a bottle of bourbon to eye height. She almost laughed out loud. She turned to Lloyd, who until this moment had been silent.

'Well?' she asked, smirking. 'What's your temptation?'

Buster laughed. 'He ain't here for temptation.' He nodded to Lloyd, who without warning stooped down and lifted Ella easily onto his shoulder.

'What the- ah!!' She flailed around, trying and failing to free herself. Lloyd began to walk to the car park and the rest of the crew followed, barely able to stop laughing long enough to take a step. After a while, her own laughter prevented her from struggling further, and she hung over Lloyd's shoulder until he dumped her unceremoniously into the car. They piled in on either side of her to prevent her escape, though she no longer really wanted to.

'You guys are UNBELIEVABLE. Now give me the goddamn beer.'

-

-

-

Not long after arriving at the spacious house that the party was occupying, Ella found Shantelle again. Shantelle was already quite tipsy, but Ella, having drunk most of the beers in the car, was well on the way to joining her. She had just started to tell Ella about her new boyfriend, who would apparently be joining them soon.

'He's really cool, but, but, you know, like I don't want to get too far into it and then have to find out that he's actually an idiot and have to go all that shit, you know, you know, you know what I mean.'

'I totally know what you mean!'

'What??'

'I said I know!!'

'I know!'

'What??' Ella was having trouble making herself heard over the pumping music, but right then it just made it funnier.

They continued to talk, somewhat unsuccessfully, and where joined at various points by her fellow wrestlers and most of the crew. Ella met quite a few of the technical staff outside of lighting, and they all seemed the worse for wear, at least as far as she could tell. Then they were alone again for a few minutes. Ella was just trying to explain the exact construction of a tim-tam, when Shantelle spotted someone behind her.

'Oh my goodness! That's Paul!!' From the way Shantelle was fiddling with her hair, Ella gathered it must be the boyfriend she'd been hearing so much about. She was introduced, and then they excused themselves, opting to find a quieter area.

Ella found herself suddenly on her own in a sea of people she didn't really recognise. She scanned the crowd, but couldn't find any of the lighting crew, nor any of the wrestlers that she had, moments before, been chatting to. She started to make her way through the throng, hoping to find someone she knew hanging around the peripheries. She had just managed to work her way out of the crowd when she walked hard into someone else, bouncing back and almost spilling her drink.

'Oh, shit! I'm so sorr…' She looked up, and realised that, once again, she'd managed to smack into Christian Cage- no, she corrected herself, Jason Reso. He laughed as he registered who had bumped him.

'Wow, hi!' he said, surprise evident in his tone.

Ella pushed her hair behind her ears self-consciously. 'Hey, sorry again.' she said, offering a smile.

'Man, I guess we just keep…bumping into each other, huh?' He winced almost immediately after having said this. 'Oh, that was a terrible joke, wasn't it?' She laughed, perhaps a little louder than the situation warranted, but the ridiculousness of the situation, and probably the beer, had gone straight to her head.

'So…I guess you're enjoying yourself at TNA so far, huh?' he said, sweeping his hand around to indicate the party.

'Oh, ah, yeah, everyone's been very nice, and uh…' She wished she hadn't had quite so much to drink. It was making it hard to think of things to say, and she was sure her garbled sentences probably weren't doing the job. He looked at her a moment longer, and she thought she saw the start of his uniquely wonky smile, but it disappeared before she could see it fully.

'So I'm interested to know how a lighting technician from Australia winds up at a wrestling show in Florida?'

She opened her mouth, unsure for a moment exactly how much of her life story she could communicate over the music and the alcohol. He seemed to sense her uncertainty, and waved his hand to stop her.

'Wait, wait, we probably need to find a place where you can tell me this in peace, huh?' She looked at him sideways, trying to gauge his expression. Was he suggesting…they find some place quiet?

'Uh…sure.' She replied. 'If you really are that interested, of course.' She smiled wryly, half expecting him to decline. He just laughed in response and took a step back, offering her his arm. She took it, almost relying on it as the next wave of booze hit her. For a couple of seconds it seemed a kind of odd situation, being ushered to a private place by a wrestler she'd been watching on TV for a good three years, but, looking up into his reassuring smile, she swiftly dismissed her misgivings.

She'd taken his arm. Even with the alcohol slightly dulling his sense, he was intensely aware of her warmth radiating through his shirt. Every few steps she would lurch to the side a little, pressing her body against his. He could feel his pulse rise, could feel his breath quicken as he looked down and smiled at her, having her smile back at him.

Beautiful.

And all his.


	5. I Was A Lover

Ella allowed Jason to lead her around the side of the house to the pool area, which was strangely free of people. He walked them to a bench next to the pool, and she sat down gratefully, suddenly drunker than she remembered being. She clutched tightly onto her glass, closing her eyes as the world spun for a moment. She was aware of Christian as he sat down beside her.

_Christian? Jason_, she had to correct herself yet again. _Or maybe he likes being called Christian_, she thought wickedly, and mentally giggled.

'What's so funny?'

She looked over to him, realizing her giggle hadn't been in her head after all.

'Oh, well, I…I don't really know?' She giggled again, using her drunkenness as an excuse. She knew, she just didn't want to tell him what she was thinking of. He smiled, but it faded quickly, as if he suspected she was being insincere.

'So,' he said after a moment, 'You were going to tell me how you ended up here?'

'Oh, yeah…well…I suppose, I mean really it's just cos it's real hard to find a lot of lighting work in Australia, and, you know, I always wanted to travel.'

He nodded, but seemed to find something wanting in her answer.

'What about your family? Friends? Relationships? Did you just leave them all?'

For a second she thought his question slightly accusatory, but she figured he was just curious.

'Well…my parents, they understand. My friends have all up and left anyway, and as for relationships, well…you see, my last relationship was enough incentive to move anyway…'

'Oh, I'm sorry. Tell me about it.'

Wow, it must be the drink making her so forthcoming, or perhaps the fact that she barely knew the man. Hardly anyone knew the real depth of pain she associated with the last man she'd been with.

She told Jason everything, all about how serious it had gotten so early, then how abruptly he'd finished it. How he wouldn't let it go, though, how he kept coming back, sometimes just for a night, sometimes for a week, with a thousand empty promises, then he'd break her heart just as sincerely as he had the first time. She always knew she was stupid to let him back, but he seemed to show up every time she was feeling like shit, needing anyone, anyone at all.

'Did you love him?'

'I don't know. Maybe to begin with. Then I think I hated him.'

'And now?'

'I…I don't really feel anything. It seems so long ago…' She trailed off, coming out of her memories to look around at the man next to her. He looked at her so intensely, his dark eyes so deep…

He raised one hand abruptly, then gently placed it on her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb. Then he began to lean towards her, and she found herself reciprocating, and they were close, so close, so close and then…

Sudden ruckus in their area made them pull back rapidly, and they looked up to see a crowd of people, headed by the LX crew, swarming into the area around the pool. In their rowdy state, they seemed not to notice the intimate situation they'd interrupted. Her fellow crew stumbled their way over to her, motioning for her to stand. They wound up actually lifting her to her feet in their excitement, then she found herself supporting a very inebriated Sammy, who was clutching the almost-empty bottle of vodka. Buddy put his arm around her shoulder, then turned to address the crowd.

'Every-ry-one! Quiet!! I have here,' he pointed waveringly at Ella, 'The very newest member of our family!' Everyone cheered, waving glasses in the air. She looked back to where Jason was sitting, but he only shrugged, a slight smile playing over his features.

'We're all verrrrry glad that you came to us, El, and all of us that have met you, agree that you'll be one of us for a long time!!' His crowd cheered again.

'We've tried very hard to make sure your first couple of weeks was enjoyable, and I think we're succeeding!!' Everyone began loudly toasting and slinging back drinks, and it took a little longer for Buster to quiet them.

'With that thought in mind, m'dear, we ask you to forgive us, and to allow us to indulge in this particular tradition of ours.'

Ella's face fell at this, but before she could make a move she was hoisted by all three of the crew and carried, crowd-surfing style, till she was at the edge of the pool. Seeing what was coming, she tried to struggle her way back to the ground, but it was to no avail, and she found herself suddenly flying through the air, straight into the ice-cold pool.

She surfaced immediately, swearing rather viciously, to tumultuous applause and whistles. They stood, laughing with her for a few moments more, before some new activity in the front garden drew them back, leaving her spluttering and cold, standing on the pool steps, trying to regain her balance enough to step out of the water. A solid arm caught her flailing limb, and she stumbled up the steps and into the waiting arms of Jason. Looking into his face, she saw that he was laughing as well.

'Did you know about this?' She demanded.

'I realise this might not sound convincing, but I honestly forgot they do that. It really is just bad luck we decided to come to the pool.'

She looked up at him under raised eyebrows, shivering. He laughed again, and wrapped his arm around her.

'Come on. We'll find somewhere a little less hazardous.'

They walked into the house this time, despite the fact that Ella was dripping water all over the carpet. She kicked off her squelchy shoes at the door, but it really didn't make a difference. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering violently. The sudden cold water had shaken most of the grogginess of the booze, leaving her painfully aware of the cold. He kept his arm around her, and began to lead her upstairs.

They walked into a rather spacious, if empty and impersonal, bedroom. He sat her down on the large bed and walked into the en suite bathroom, apparently to find a towel. Ella wriggled out of her soaked jacket and tried to use it to catch the drips from her hair, without much success. She could hear Jason rummaging through cupboards.

'You seem to know this house pretty well. Are there parties here often, then?'

'Oh, well, actually it is my house.'

Ella blushed. Then she was in his bedroom…whoops.

'Oh dear, in that case I apologise most whole-heartedly for the chlorine soaked carpet and bedspread,' she said.

He began to laugh as he re-entered the bedroom, but stopped short as he caught sight of her, her thin shirt clinging to her body, her wet hair spilling down her shoulders. Her head was tilted away from him, luckily, so she couldn't see the expression on his face. He shook himself mentally, trying to shake himself from his trance.

Ella turned her head towards the door when there was no response, in time to see him walk towards her, a large fluffy towel in his hands. He wrapped it around her shoulders and she clutched at it gratefully, immediately warmer. He sat down next to her.

Suddenly uncomfortable at his proximity, she tried to mask it by squeezing her hair out into the towel. She was aware of his unwavering gaze, but couldn't bring herself to look at him.

'So…is this just a brief change of scenery…or are you going to stay at TNA?'

She dropped her hands into her lap, and turned her head to look at him.

'I…don't really know…but I don't think I'll be going home any time soon.'

He took the other corner of the towel and raised it to her face, gently brushing away the drops of water that still clung to it.

'That's very good,' he whispered, and this time when he put his hand to her cheek and leaned towards her, there was no one to interrupt them, and their lips joined. His embrace was warm, and half not-knowing what she was doing, she returned the kiss with passion.

And when he pushed her gently down onto the bed, she didn't stop him.

**Woot! What do you think? Anybody give a damn yet? No? No worries. CHRISTIAN ROCKS!! He is what I am describing as "the sex".**


	6. Song Of Joy

**Man, how long did it take me to get this chapter? Too Long, that's how. Hope you like.**

* * *

Ella woke early in the morning, before sunrise. She opened her eyes, and found herself staring into the face of the sleeping man lying next to her. His arm was draped across her waist. She smiled.

She remembered that she had to go in to work early, to start preparing for tonight's show. If she left now she'd probably have time to go home and change, and avoid any embarrassment for Jason. She personally didn't have any regrets, but she was sure he would just want to leave it at that and move on. Blame it on the booze.

She placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing her finger over the short beard he wore. Then she worked her way out from beneath his arm, trying not to wake him.

She found her clothes scattered around the room where they'd dropped. She was amused to find that two of the buttons on her pants had come off. She vaguely remembered that he'd simply yanked at the join rather than mess around with the fiddly buttons.

She fastened them to the best of her ability, then found her shirt and jacket. They still smelt of chlorine, and she made a mental note to put them in the washing machine before she left, or they'd probably disintegrate. Before she walked out of the room, she turned back and took one last look at Jason. She closed the door gently behind her.

She walked down the stairs, trying to remember what she'd done with her shoes. She thought she might have a bit of trouble getting home barefoot. She searched along the corridor, and then through the lounge.

'Total bollocks,' she said softly. She heard footsteps on the stairs, then Jason entered through the lounge. She was pleased to see he'd pulled on his jeans before he'd come downstairs.

'Hey.' He said quietly. 'I thought maybe you hadn't left yet.'

'Sorry I woke you. I have to be at TNA early, and I wanted to get home to change. I can't find my shoes, though…'

'Oh. Hang on, I remember.' He walked through the kitchen and retrieved them from next to the back door.

'Thanks,' she said, slipping them on. She stared up at him, unsure what to say. She began to say something, but Jason intercepted her, placing a finger on her mouth, then following with his lips. She left without either of them saying a word.

-

-

-

Luckily enough, none of the crew had wondered why they hadn't given Ella a lift home. She was grateful that she didn't have to lie to them. She settled into plotting with ease, falling into the routine already. Pierce seemed oddly distant today, but she put it down to stress and forgot about it.

They finished a little later than anticipated, and Ella had to forgo dinner in favour of the show. Christian Cage was wrestling today, and she watched him fight distractedly. She really had enjoyed last night, after all.

Sigh, sigh, heartbreak, get over it. She pressed 'go' for her final cue and brought the house lights up. Then she sat and waited for the audience to leave.

Backstage, she hung in the crew locker room, chatting with the follow-spot operators.

'Shit, when Taylor jumped over the turnbuckle I COMPLETELY missed her.'

'Oh, man, I saw that.'

'SHIT.' One of the other spot-ops slapped the first one on the back.

'Hey, what about when Super Eric stopped in the middle of the ramp, and I didn't? I swear, Pierce would have _skinned_ me if he'd seen that.'

Ella offered a few words of consolation, but they weren't convinced. They left in disgust, still bemoaning their mistakes.

She sat on a bench, shoving her belongings back into her bag. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and she looked toward the door. She was shocked to find that it was Jason, leaning casually against the door frame.

'Hi.'

'Hi, how are you? How was your match?'

'Pretty brutal.' He smiled, his mouth tilting up to the left. 'Um, listen, have you had dinner already?'

She raised her eyebrows. 'Uh, no, as it happens.'

He shifted uncomfortably for a second, looking a little guilty. 'Actually, I knew that, one of the crew told me you guys went overtime.'

She raised her eyebrows a little further. He crossed his arms, refusing to let her fluster him.

'_Anyway_, I thought maybe we could get something to eat. I know an okay little café not far from here.'

'Oh! Well, yeah, ok, that sounds great.' She was surprised, but tried not to let it show on her face. She must have given some sign, though, because Jason's brow creased, and for a second he looked worried.

'What? What's…what's wrong?'

'Well, nothing, really, it's just that…I mean, I thought…' She decided to just be honest, and see how he responded. 'I thought you wouldn't want to continue this.'

His eyebrows drew together again. 'Why?' he said quizzically. She looked down, a little embarrassed.

'I don't know…I suppose I just thought that as a wrestler, you wouldn't…'

'Wouldn't what? "Fraternize with the sub-humans"? What do you think I am, the pope?'

She looked back up at him quickly, wondering if she'd insulted him. His expression softened as he saw this, and he took two steps towards her, placing one hand on her arm.

'Ella…last night, when you were telling me about…what happened, all I could think was…if I had you…I'd never let you go.' He took her face in his hands, and as she looked into his blue eyes, she realised that he sincerely meant it. 'Now will you come get dinner with me, or do I have to beat you up a little first?' He smiled, and she laughed.

'Ok,' she said, and picked up her things.

-

-

-

That night, she stayed at his again.

-

-

-

The next day, she didn't have to be in till after lunchtime, so Jason drove her back to her apartment in the late morning. She got changed, and then they sat in her kitchen, drinking coffee.

As before, she found it incredibly easy to talk to him. He had a wonderful ability to listen, and he seemed genuinely interested in what she said. In return, he told her stories about growing up in Canada, and how hard he'd had to work for people to take him seriously as a wrestler.

'I think my mom wanted me to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or something. She was so disappointed when she realised wrestling wasn't just a hobby for me. "What kind of career is that?" And, well, you should have heard my father laugh. I wasn't exactly the strongest kid. They're happy for me now, though. I think.'

He took another sip of coffee. She looked at him a couple of seconds more, trying to discern his expression. His last statement had a sting of bitterness to it, and his face had looked mainly angry for a few seconds. She decided to let it go, but her heart was touched by the thought of all the hard work this man had put in, to do what he loved.

He drove them both to Universal Studios, as he also had to be in that day. He went to a run-through of his match about half an hour before Ella was due to start, so she went to catering to pour herself yet another cup of instant coffee. The cafeteria was full and buzzing, an unusual amount of people crammed into the room. Ella found a table where Shantelle and Jessica were sitting with another Knockout whom she recognised as Tracy Brooks. They got chatting, as Ella sipped her coffee. Tracy was just as lovely as the rest of the talent, she found. After a couple of minutes, the conversation came around to the after-party. Shantelle turned to Ella with a strange look on her face.

'Hey, Ella, I just realised, how did you get home? Did you have to hitch a ride with some drunks?'

'Uh…'

'What? You didn't drive yourself, did you?'

'No, no, I…uh…'

Shantelle stared at her intently, obviously requiring an answer. They sat in awkward silence for a few seconds more, as Ella tried desperately to decide what to say. Jessica broke the silence by slapping Shantelle's arm, who burst into laughter.

'Aw, hell, stop teasing the poor girl. We know you were shacked up with Jason.'

Ella's face went crimson.

'What?? How on earth did you find that out??'

Shantelle grinned, and tapped the side of her nose. 'I have my ways.'

'Huh.' Jessica looked unimpressed. 'Actually, she was passed out on the couch in his lounge room, and she saw you leave.'

Shantelle rolled her eyes, her smile still wide. 'So…?'

'So what?'

'Well…what now?'

Ella gave a small smile, and nodded. Shantelle practically whooped with delight.

'Damn, girl, and you've only been here a couple of weeks!'

Ella groaned, resting her glowing face on her hands. 'Listen, could we keep this a little quiet? I'd prefer if it wasn't that big a deal.'

'Sure,' Shantelle smiled. Roxxi, or Nicky, as she was known backstage, walked over to the table with her own hot beverage of choice.

'Hey guys, what's happening? What have you done to make Ella look so mortified.

'Ella's seeing Jason Reso.'

Ella groaned loudly, covering her face, while the others burst into laughter. She looked up, however, to find that Nicky wasn't laughing. She had a strange expression, one that Ella couldn't interpret.

'Oh. Really?' Nicky looked into her drink, avoiding her gaze. The others didn't seem to notice. Shantelle made a few more cracks about Jason, but the conversation soon moved on. Strangely, so did Nicky, who excused herself and left not long after she'd sat down, still avoiding Ella's eyes.

'That was weird.'

'What was?'

'Nicky seemed kind of…I don't know, perturbed when you told her about Jason and me.'

'Really? I don't know, maybe she wanted him to herself!' They began to laugh again, and Ella dismissed the event from her mind.

* * *

**Well, I wonder what all that was about. So I got a reply from someone who may or may not have been Christian Cage. On Bebo, you understand. He couldn't spell. **

**...I kind of hope it wasn't him.**

**He still rocks like a sex beast.**


End file.
